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Valsartan and Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers

Batches of Valsartan and similar blood pressure medications manufactured in China and India were found to be contaminated with carcinogenic chemicals that are known to cause cancer or liver damage in users.

Hundreds of products containing Valsartan, a popular drug
for treating high blood pressure and heart failure, have been recalled in more
than 20 countries due to impurities in the medications that are linked to
cancer and other serious medical problems. The recalled Valsartan pills were manufactured
overseas in China and India, and the unexpected contamination with carcinogenic
impurities is believed to be due to changes a major Chinese manufacturer made to
the way the drug was made. According to reports, these manufacturing changes
were made as far back as 2012, which means the recalled Valsartan-containing
products may have contained these impurities for years. If you or a loved one
has developed stomach cancer, colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, liver failure
or another serious medical issue while taking contaminated Valsartan, contact
an experienced Valsartan injury lawyer as soon as possible to discuss the
possibility of pursuing compensation through a product liability lawsuit.

What are Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers?

Popular blood pressure medications that have been linked to cancer, liver damage and other serious side effects due to cancer-causing impurities occurring as by-products of the manufacturing process.

Valsartan is the generic component of prescription medications commonly used to treat high blood pressure and heart failure, and the drug is also sometimes prescribed to patients who have suffered a heart attack or who have type II diabetes, to slow the progression of kidney disease. Valsartan is the generic form of the brand-name drug Diovan and since 2012, Valsartan has been manufactured almost exclusively by the drug company Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceutical Co. (ZHP) of China, which sold $50 million worth of Valsartan in 2017 alone. Valsartan belongs to a class of drugs known as angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARB), which work by inhibiting the action of the hormone that causes blood vessels to constrict, thereby lowering blood pressure.

Possible Side Effects Leading to a Valsartan Lawsuit

Serious and potentially life-threatening side effects that have been linked to the cancer-causing impurities found in Valsartan and other contaminated blood pressure medications include:

Colorectal cancer

Liver cancer

Kidney cancer

Gastric cancer

Pancreatic cancer

Esophageal cancer

Stomach cancer

Enlarged liver

Liver damage

Liver failure

Reduced function of the liver, lungs and kidneys

Jaundice

Headaches

Fever

Nausea

Vomiting

Abdominal cramps

Link Between Valsartan and Cancer

The contamination of Valsartan pills with cancer-causing chemicals was first discovered in 2018, and the finding led to a recall of generic Valsartan manufactured in China and India and sold worldwide. In July 2018, the FDA announced a recall of hundreds of products containing Valsartan made in China or India and sold in the United States, but only after 22 other countries issued recalls affecting 2,300 batches of Valsartan. The first chemical impurity found in the Valsartan pills was N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), a chemical the EPA has categorized as a “probable human carcinogen,” but when the FDA ran additional tests on batches of Valsartan contaminated with NDMA, the agency found that some of the drugs contained a second carcinogen, called N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA), a chemical that is “reasonably anticipated” to cause cancer in humans.

According to reports, the contamination of the Valsartan pills is believed to date back to 2012, when Novartis’ patent for Diovan/Valsartan expired and generic manufacturers were permitted to enter the lucrative Valsartan market. Eventually, drug companies began outsourcing the Valsartan manufacturing process to China and India in order to cut costs, and ZHP of China changed the way Valsartan was manufactured. As a result of these changes, the carcinogens NDMA and NDEA were produced as byproducts of the chemical reaction that creates Valsartan, and because these contaminants are a product of the Valsartan manufacturing process, it has become clear that a large percentage of the Valsartan sold worldwide may have contained these carcinogenic impurities for years.

Additionally, the ARB medications Losartan (Cozarr), Irbesartan (Avapro), Candesartan (Atacand) and Olmesartan (Benicar) undergo a chemical reaction during the manufacturing process that is similar to the reaction required to make Valsartan, which means it is possible these drugs may also contain carcinogenic impurities. In fact, trace amounts of NDMA and other potentially cancer-causing impurities have been found in other generic ARB medications, including generic Losartan, and since July 2018, the FDA has issued several recalls for Valsartan, Losartan and Irbesartan. In February 2019, the FDA announced that yet another potentially carcinogenic impurity, N-Nitroso-N-methyl-4-aminobutyric acid (NMBA), was found in the popular blood pressure medication Losartan.

Lawsuits Against Valsartan Drugs for Cancer and Liver Damage

The Valsartan litigation is still relatively new and product liability lawyers are currently investigating and filing claims on behalf of individuals across the country who took Valsartan and other similar medications, like Losartan and Irbesartan. Patients who purchased contaminated Valsartan products may be entitled to compensation for the defective medications, and patients who developed cancer or required hospitalization due to liver damage or other related medical problems may also have grounds to file lawsuits for damages. Generally speaking, these Valsartan lawsuits may seek compensation for the following:

Costs of the prescription drugs

Costs of treatment, including cancer treatment

Costs of any necessary hospitalizations

Costs of ongoing medical care

Pain and suffering

Lost wages due to illness

Loss of future earning capacity

Emotional distress

Punitive damages to punish the companies for wrongful conduct

In February 2019, the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) announced its decision to consolidate all Valsartan cases in the District of New Jersey, before Judge Robert B. Kugler.

FDA, Valsartan and Side Effects

July 2018 – European countries begin recalling contaminated Valsartan products after certain batches of the drug were found to contain NDMA.

July 2018 – The FDA issues a nationwide recall of Valsartan after finding the cancer-causing impurity NDMA in drug products containing Valsartan.

August 2018 – The FDA includes hundreds of U.S. drug products in the Valsartan recall.

August 2018 –Hetero Labs Limited of India, which used a manufacturing process similar to ZHP of China’s, is named as an additional source of the Valsartan contamination.

September 2018 – A second carcinogen (NDEA) is found in the recalled Valsartan products.

September 2018 – The European Medicines Agency (EMA) announces that it will review four other medications related to Valsartan (Irbesartan, Losartan, Candesartan and Olmesartan).

September 2018 – The FDA bans ZHP of China from importing Valsartan or any other medications into the United States after an inspection of ZHP of China facilities uncovered numerous violations.

October 2018 – The FDA announces an additional recall of certain batches of Irbesartan, a similar, non-Valsartan drug also used to treat high blood pressure.

December 2018 – The FDA announces a recall of Losartan after finding nitrosamines in the medication.

February 2019 – Another cancer-causing impurity, NMBA, is found in Losartan.

Valsartan Studies

July 2017 – The authors of a Chinese study note that “Nitrosamines such as N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) in drinking water have recently attracted great attention because of their high carcinogenicity and high detection rate.”

September 2018 – A Danish nationwide cohort study indicates that exposure to NDMA can cause cancer of the liver, colon, pancreas, stomach and rectum.

January 2019 – The Open Access Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences publishes a study highlighting the potential for irbesartan treatment to cause melanoma in users.

April 2019 – A study published in the Biological & Pharmaceutical Bulletin indicates that NDMA is believed to have been introduced into valsartan drug products due to the process by which the active pharmaceutical ingredient is manufactured.

April 2019 – Research conducted by MD Anderson Cancer Center notes “significant positive associations of NDEA and NDMA with a risk of pancreatic cancer.”

Why We Think the Drug Makers Should Be Held Liable for Valsartan Side Effects

Patients who took contaminated Valsartan pills are now filing lawsuits against the drug companies and pharmacies who made and sold the defective medications. Plaintiffs in the Valsartan lawsuits are seeking compensatory damages for their injuries and pain and suffering, in addition to punitive damages to punish the drug manufacturers, distributors and retailers for negligently selling dangerous drugs containing cancer-causing chemicals. Valsartan lawsuits allege that:

The drug companies lied about the safety and effectiveness of their medications

Patients were misled and never would have bought the medications if they knew they were contaminated

The medications were defectively manufactured

The manufacturing companies failed to recognize problems with the manufacturing of their medications

Patients were exposed to cancer-causing chemicals by taking their Valsartan medications

The contaminated Valsartan drugs are worthless and not fit for human consumption

The drug manufacturers, distributors and retailers engaged in fraud

The companies were negligent in failing to warn patients about the contaminated Valsartan medications

The FDA failed to recall the contaminated Valsartan drugs until after 22 other countries announced Valsartan recalls.

What should you do? If you have experienced cancer, liver damage or other side effects, you should contact a lawyer as soon as possible to discuss filing a Valsartan injury lawsuit.

Exposure to toxic chemicals found in recalled Valsartan products could increase patients’ risk of developing cancer of the liver, kidney, colon, stomach or gastrointestinal tract, among other serious illnesses, and if you have been exposed to contaminated Valsartan, you should discuss your treatment with your doctor right away. If you developed cancer or suffered liver damage while taking Valsartan or another angiotensin II receptor blocker, you should contact a knowledgeable Valsartan injury lawyer to discuss your legal options. You may have grounds to file a Valsartan lawsuit against the company that manufactured, promoted, marketed and sold the contaminated medication, and our consumer advocates at the Consumer Justice Foundation can help. We are committed to protecting the rights of innocent consumers harmed by defective and dangerous medications, and we can help put you in touch with an experienced Valsartan attorney.

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Consumer Justice Foundation Copyright 2015

Do you deserve compensation?

An attorney will review your situation for FREE and help you found out what really went wrong.

How Can We Reach You?

Please Explain Your Situation

By clicking the "Submit" button below, you agree that law firms you are matched with may contact you by telephone even if you are on a federal or state Do Not Call registry. Up to 10 law firms may respond to your request within approximately 2 weeks. In some cases 3 or more firms may respond to your request after 30 days. Use of this site is subject to our Terms of Use.

By leaving this box checked, I agree to receive future offers and announcements from Consumer Justice Foundation, and its affiliates and partners